Chapter 91 Going to Pure Yang City, Super Large City
Several days had passed, and Qin Xiao had also quietly gathered some intelligence. Since he had boasted, he naturally needed to understand his opponents.
While Qin Xiao lacked his own information network, the Immortal Dao Merchant Association certainly had one. As long as he wasn't investigating their internal affairs, reliable intel could be easily purchased with Spirit Stones.
Securing a spot in the top five was the baseline requirement to complete the task, yet that threshold proved daunting. The sole variable this time was the participation of Tianyi City, drawing Qin Xiao's keen attention toward Chen Shunyi's gifted disciple.
At present, they were already journeying toward Pure Yang City. Sect Leader Lin Tiancheng was personally leading the delegation aboard the same Flying Ship from before, accompanied by no one else save for the three of them.
Seated upon the deck, Qin Xiao mentally reviewed the intelligence he had gathered.
The deputy city lord temporarily assigned to represent Tianyi City this session was Fang Xiuxian, a thirty-three-year-old Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator with a Heavenly Spirit Root. As Chen Shunyi's youngest disciple, he possessed formidable talent and boundless ambition, reaching the late stage of Nascent Soul by thirty-three. Yet his reputation left much to be desired; he was exceptionally ruthless in battle, leaving his opponents either dead or crippled.
Aside from Tianyi City, the deputy city lord representing Pure Yang City, Yu Heguang, was equally formidable. Having just turned thirty-five, his cultivation likewise stood at the Nascent Soul late stage. He hailed from Central Province and appeared to be a member of City Lord Yu Chengfeng's clan.
Then there was the new generation's Senior Brother of the Pure Yang Sect, Gong Yuankui. Rarely seen in public and possessing virtually no recorded duels, he too held Nascent Soul late-stage cultivation.
Such was the intelligence concerning the three most formidable Nascent Soul late-stage experts. Breaking into the top three meant facing at least one of them head-on. The top five was somewhat more manageable, requiring them to contend with only two factions from the Immortal Dao Merchant Association and the Mysterious Yin Sect. Even so, Qin Xiao suspected neither faction was as simple as they appeared on the surface.
"Master, you've been spacing out the entire trip. What are you thinking about?"
Yun Man, who had been meditating for hours, noticed Qin Xiao's absent expression and asked with mild curiosity.
"Nothing much. Your master is simply reviewing the details on our opponents," Qin Xiao replied with a relaxed grin. "They certainly look tricky, but it's nothing to worry about. Go ahead and fight with peace of mind. If you can't win, just surrender-your master will cover for you."
"Don't worry, Master. I don't plan on giving you any reason to step in," Yun Man retorted with absolute calm. "This match is a three-on-three rotation. As long as Junior Sister doesn't drag us down, handling two opponents on my own won't be an issue."
"Hold on, what is that supposed to mean? Am I suddenly the weakest link here? What do you mean by not dragging you down?"
Though Lin Shimeng had originally intended to remain silent, the remark struck too close to home for her to ignore.
"Isn't it the truth? Can you defeat me? I can't even beat Master, so expecting you to beat him is out of the question," Yun Man shot back without missing a beat.
During their recent days of travel, the master and disciples had engaged in several bouts of sparring. Yun Man consistently defeated Lin Shimeng with ease, never once breaking a sweat. Against Qin Xiao, however, her efforts yielded no results-not because his combat techniques were profound, but because his sheer physical toughness and Body Refinement allowed him to simply brush off her attacks through sheer force.
Left completely speechless, Lin Shimeng wanted to argue, but the reality of her position as the weakest among the three left her with no counter.
"Alright, enough bickering. You're fellow apprentices, so keep the internal rivalry down," Qin Xiao intervened smoothly. "If I don't have to make a move, that's ideal. But don't push yourselves beyond your limits; getting injured over this isn't worth it."
Qin Xiao had no doubts about Yun Man's capabilities. Having witnessed the sparring firsthand, he knew she could easily defeat Lin Shimeng at full power while holding back, proving her extraordinary talent and undeniable background.
"Understood, Master. We'll be fine," Yun Man replied, quickly dropping the subject at his behest.
Lin Shimeng could only let out a soft sigh.
Before Qin Xiao and Yun Man joined the sect, she had been celebrated as the proud favored daughter of heaven and the ultimate hope of the Tianyuan Sect, possessing innate talent that surpassed all previous generations of disciples. Back then, her pride knew no bounds. Yet standing alongside these two absolute monsters, she suddenly felt entirely ordinary.
Two hours later, a massive city loomed ahead in the distance. Dwarfing Tianyuan City by severalfold, the sheer scale of the settlement carried an undeniable sense of imposing majesty.
"Sect Leader, a city of this scale surely has no rival across the entirety of Qingzhou, right?" Qin Xiao remarked with a hint of admiration as they approached the gates.
"If we are speaking strictly of conventional cities, this is indeed the largest in Qingzhou," Lin Tiancheng replied with a nod.
"Conventional? Are there unconventional ones as well?"
Qin Xiao's curiosity only deepened upon hearing the distinction.
"Naturally. Deep within the heart of Qingzhou lies the true center of the province-Qingzhou City," Lin Tiancheng explained in detail. "It serves as the focal point of all power and influence throughout Qingzhou. The regional branch of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association resides there, alongside the Qingzhou Governor-General Manor. Nearly every major faction maintains a stronghold within its walls, and its scale far surpasses Pure Yang City. However, that place has no city lord-only a Governor-General." realizing Qin Xiao had spent the past three years cooped up within the sect and knew little of the wider world, he patiently elaborated.
Damn, this world is even larger than I imagined, Qin Xiao thought with a silent gasp. I really was just a frog at the bottom of a well, staring up at a sliver of sky.
After paying the city entry fees, the group proceeded directly to the City Lord Manor. Since the tournament was being hosted here, matters of registration, lodging assignments, and general arrangements naturally fell under the manor's purview.
The matches were scheduled to begin the following morning, leaving the current day open for registration, roster confirmation, and a grand evening banquet designed to foster connections among the various sects.
Once their quarters were settled, Qin Xiao found himself utterly restless. Spending the entire day meditating inside a room was entirely out of the question, especially when visiting Pure Yang City for the very first time.
"Sect Leader, since there's nothing pressing on our schedule today, how about we go out and take a look around?" Qin Xiao asked, turning to Lin Tiancheng.
"Go ahead. Representatives from other factions will be arriving shortly to exchange pleasantries, and I have several acquaintances to visit myself, so I won't be able to accompany you," Lin Tiancheng answered, well aware of Qin Xiao's restless nature.
"In that case, Sect Leader, please attend to your business while we head out to stretch our legs."
Qin Xiao seized the opportunity with enthusiasm, secretly glad Lin Tiancheng was tied up-otherwise, his usual freedom would be severely curtailed.
"Hold on a moment, let me make one thing clear first," Lin Tiancheng cautioned, eyeing Qin Xiao's eagerness. "This place isn't Tianyuan City, let alone a smaller enclave like Tianyi City. Go out and enjoy yourselves, but do not stir up trouble or casually offend powerful figures. Exercise restraint in all matters. If you cause a massive uproar, this old man will have a very difficult time cleaning up the mess after you. Understood?"
The last thing the sect leader wanted was for this disciple to wander outside, fail to distinguish friend from foe, and start picking fights with everyone in sight.
"What kind of talk is that, Sect Leader? We are entirely law-abiding cultivators-how could we possibly go looking for trouble? That incident in Tianyi City was pure coincidence. As a rule, I prefer to keep my distance from unnecessary complications. You needn't worry," Qin Xiao replied breezily, entirely unconcerned.
Without waiting for further lecturing, Qin Xiao beckoned to Yun Man and Lin Shimeng and set off. Lin Shimeng had initially intended to maintain a dignified composure before her father, but seeing the other two vanish down the street in the blink of an eye, she abandoned all pretense and sprinted after them at full speed.